Harper reads for Role in; “A Few Good Men”

The Boundary Bay Morning SteamerÓ
Boundary Bay, B.C. (bbmornsteamer@dccnet.com) Sunday, April 2, 2006

Editor: Roderick Whitney Stillwell

Senior Staff Writer: 00Buck

Harper Reads for Role in; “A Few Good Men”

by: 00Buck

In a piece [1] carried by, “News National”, on Thursday, Sue Bailey, CP, cited the following:

"As you know, Hamas is a terrorist organization -- listed in this country -- and we cannot send any direct aid to an organization that refuses to renounce terrorist activity, refuses to renounce violence." [Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay]

"As a result, Canada will have no contact with the members of the Hamas cabinet and is suspending assistance to the Palestinian Authority."

“MacKay added that the new government must make a "clear commitment" to peace before Canada will end the diplomatic freeze.”

First and foremost, I agree with the policy of demurring to vector economic support for Palestinians through Hamas.

Nevertheless; Hamas was the democratic choice of Palestinians and, as with other democratic nations, their informed decision was based on the best choice they saw. Given the political and economic circumstances of the moment, in fairness, what realistic alternative for forming a stable government did they have? Hamas; Religious zealots sworn to violence, but proven benefactors to the people, or Fatah; corrupt to the bone with a history of destituting Palestinians and sucking every last drachma of foreign aid into it's own pockets. Not much of a choice. Harper might contemplate that his party got in by an even narrower margin than Hamas on a platform stressing allegatons of corruption in the Liberal Party.

Given time, and suasions from the international community, the Hamas manifesto of record advocating violence against Israel shall and should be vigorously confronted on every possible level. Now that Hamas must deal both with it’s own constituents and the rest of the world as their representative, there is a better chance of effecting productive moderation. Hamas has been given another leg to stand on. It doesn’t seem reasonable to me to insist it compete in the Olympics before it has had barely time to attach the thing; let alone do ‘re-hab’.

I strongly protest the way the Canadian Government chose to effect this decision.

Canada has a long history of making mature, responsible and ‘long-headed’ decisions in matters of foreign policy. This precipitate decision by Ottawa betrays a reactionary mindset unworthy of it’s distinguished past and is unworthy of it’s people. Even worse, it misrepresents the Canadian ethos. It smacks of bullying, intolerance and arrogance.

As a Canadian, I am more than a little ashamed by the way Prime Minister Steven Harper and Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay have chosen to represent me. Unlike the Palestinians, they/we do have viable alternatives and resources at our disposal that they can only dream about. There was no need for our government to panic when Hamas got elected. Canada conducted itself wisely and deftly through the PLO/ Arafat era and things were appreciably more volatile during much of that time than they are at present.

One of several alternatives would have the Canadian Government indicate it’s reluctance to continue it’s existing aid policy for Palestine for the very sound and justifiable reasons cited; but do it respectfully through diplomatic communications. The World would learn about the contemplations and rationale of the Canadian Government soon enough. Such communiqués inevitably get leaked; and not by accident. The new Palestinian Administration, and those who empathize with the plight of Palestinians, would then not have to react to this blatant, and possibly humiliating, confrontation. Canada’s future actions, such as those ordained by fiat in Mr. MacKay’s declaration, would then be seen to be ‘above board’, non-coercive, and non confrontational. Instead, the Harper ‘manifesto’ makes us look downright judgmental and pompous. Personally, if I were a Palestinian, and a peaceful one, I would feel like I just got a slap in the face from someone presuming to be my benefactor. It’s twisted; like biting the hand you’re supposed to be feeding.

Even more distressing is the hypocrisy and cowardly toadying evidenced by Harper’s action. Canada has not thumped it’s chest and swore a bloody oath at the United States recently. We haven’t cut off anything to them and we are not about too; either. And I feel we ought to be ashamed at ourselves about it; not bruiting to the Palestinians that they are not politically sophisticated enough to suit our taste. When there is money ‘in it’ for us, we’re as quiet as church mice stuffing our cheeks with the Communion crumbs; oblivious to the Teaching from the Pulpit. If a people's lack of political sophistication were an issue, Harper needs to clarify his thoughts on how Bush et. al. got into the White House; twice!

In terms of scale; the hate imperative ascribed to Hamas viz. Israel is small ‘fajitas’ compared to that inherent in the Bush Administration’s practices and stated policies [3]. On the face of it, Palestine has a stronger argument in support of it’s contended right to occupy Israeli territory than the US had for invading and occupying Iraq. In both cases, the means used by way of achieving these objectives were abhorrent, immoral, criminal; even damnable.

In order to justify the Invasion, the US perjured itself before the UN, it’s own citizens and the world. It violated the UN Charter, it went against the Security Council, it dissembled before it’s duly elected Congress and thereby violated it’s own constitution. The Invasion was illegal. Based upon fraudulent, prevaricated and unsubstantiated accusations, the US proceeded to destroy the economy, the infrastructure, the domestic security and overthrew the government of a country to which it had no historic connection; much less did it have any right to occupy it. Through ignorance and despisement, the US Military depreciated that nations historic artifacts, verily artifacts of the Birth of Civilization itself, by surrendering them to looters. Allegedly, it further displayed it’s contempt for civilization by violating the Geneva Convention as it was intended to apply to POWs in Abu Girhaib and ‘Gitmo’ and, purportedly, other ‘secret’ locations.

By it’s actions, the US revealed for the world to see that it could not be trusted to speak the truth; showing the same mock contempt for the wisdom and judgment and rights of every OTHER nation on earth as that portrayed by Jack Nicholson’s character, Col. Jessep in, “A Few Good Men”. In one memorable scene, Jessep pontificated to Keefer…“You can't handle the truth.” In this work of fiction, Aaron Sorkin was exploring the mind-set of a narcissistic psychopath in a position of power. Bush seems to have incarnated the character and the American electorate seems to have given him an Oscar by re-electing him. The play is still running, ‘Off Beltway’. Harper and MacKay appear to reading for parts in the play, even as understudies, and are obliging Canadians to be their patrons in order to get roles. During Harper’s televised announcement, I detected repeated affectations of the, “Cheney Sneer”, and it made me very uncomfortable.

By failing to corral Osama Bin Laden, failing in ALL it’s stated objectives concerning the invasion and occupation of Iraq, failing to address the needs of it’s citizens before, during and after Katrina, failing to manage it’s own border security [2], the US has shown itself to be incompetent in marshalling and interpreting the facts and resources it does have. The Department of Homeland Security is an oxymoron. By covertly spying on it’s own citizens, it has made it plain to everyone it cannot be trusted even to observe it’s own laws and constitution.

Bush’s doctrine of, “Prevenge” [3] as embodied in his revised, “National Security Strategy”, of March 16, is nothing more than a terrorist manifesto, arrogating unto the United States (ie. the Executive) the right to wreak destruction on any nation, any affiliation, that it deems a threat. Mackay declared that, “the new [Palestinian] government must make a "clear commitment" to peace before Canada will end the diplomatic freeze.” But, the US policy of, “Pre-emptive War”, even though it has shown it is neither trustworthy nor competent to make such unilateral decisions, didn’t excite so much as a raised eyebrow or a wagging finger from the PMO.

The US has demonstrated all the characteristics of a terrorist nation; yet, no condemning proclamations have come out of Ottawa. Instead of condemning the actions and policies of the Bush Administration, Harper and MacKay have chosen to emulate them and affiliate Canadian foreign policy with that of the US. In so doing, Harper is showing the same ‘leadership’ qualities, that is to say, the same psychopathy, as Bush, and he has forfeited the right to be trusted in consequence.

The future bodes ill for Canada in terms of foreign policy. We are now cultivating enemies and provoking conflict where a few months ago we were valued and respected friends. I wish this was only a play; I could walk out and cancel my subscription.

[1] http://lfpress.ca/newsstand/News/National/2006/03/30/1511796-sun.html

[2]There are approximately 12 million ‘illegal’ immigrants living in the US.

Five recent tests attempting to bring radioactive materials into the US illegally were successful.

[3] http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/16/AR2006031600491.html

FACT SHEET: THE PRESIDENT'S NATIONAL SECURITY STRATEGY